Globe joins DENR’s “Bike. Plant. Hike 2017” reforestation initiative

Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom has joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in showcasing the beauty of Philippine forests and in encouraging the public to be part of responsible tourism and proactive reforestation.

Tree-planting activity in Mt. Arayat

Globe employees took part in DENR’s Bike.Hike.Plant 2017 tree-planting initiative organized by the Forest Management Bureau to celebrate Arbor Day and the 154th anniversary of the Philippine Forestry Service.  The event was conducted to inspire various stakeholders to take care of the forests as well as widen the network of forestry champions to include bikers and hikers.

The volunteers participated in a 30-km bike and trek activity that runs from the DENR Region 3 Office in Government Center, Maimpis, San Fernando City, Pampanga up to Mt. Arayat National Park. Over 1,000 participants biked around the city and hiked up to the chosen area to plant seedlings of various indigenous and agroforestry tree species.  

Globe bikers prepare for the bike, trek, and plant event

At the same time, Globe provided Libreng Charging stations during the event to serve everyone who joined the celebration.

“Environmental sustainability is one of the immediate responsibilities of Globe especially in the face of global warming.  Thus, aside from reducing and managing the impact of the company’s business operations on the planet, Globe also invests on environmental protection and partners with various organizations, particularly on reforestation programs to reduce our ecological footprint and mitigate the drastic effects of climate change,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe SVP for Corporate Communications.

Earlier, Globe volunteers also supported DENR’s Earth Month activities such as the coastal clean up in Las Pinas Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), the mangrove tree planting activity in Calatagan, Batangas, and watershed ecosystem awareness in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

In 2016, Globe has invested P2.371 million on total environmental protection such as reforestation programs, solid waste manage, and hazardous waste disposal and treatment.  It has also donated P1.4 million as initial grant for 13,500 seedlings to non-profit organization Hineleban Foundation which advocates environmental conservation and livelihood development.

Scenezoned Season 2 takes you on a meaningful journey to eight of the Philippines’ finest destinations

Get ready for another round of adventures as Globe presents the second season of Scenezoned, an online video series featuring eight popular personalities on a meaningful journey to the Philippines’ finest.

TV Personality and Scenezoned mainstay Solenn Heusaff returns to the series in the season premiere.

Taking them to these wondrous locations is the Philippine Airlines, the official airline partner of Scenezoned.

The new season will follow personal journeys of people like celebrity Solenn Heusaff, model and host Tommy Esguerra, and LA Aguinaldo, who each travel to a different location in the Philippines. Each one of them takes the trip with #ThePLAN in mind: A very personal goal, like conquering a long-held fear or tracing their family roots. Each odyssey is set against the backdrop of the untamed natural beauty of their destination, like Biri Island in Northern Samar or Tacloban’s Yolanda Beach.  

This season, Solenn Heusaff, a Scenezoned mainstay, returns for the first episode, and #ThePLAN is to find a subject for her newest art piece.   She makes her way to Biri Island and is overwhelmed by the scenic vistas, even as she meets the locals and learns more about their lives.

Chris Everingham and Evan Spargo of the Philippine National Rugby Team, also called the “Volcanoes”, feature in the second episode, traveling to Tacloban to run rugby clinics for the community, with #ThePLAN to rise up and come back stronger and better.  Their own journey to overcome defeat and disillusionment helps them identify with the ongoing struggle of the people of Tacloban, who themselves display great resilience as they rebuild their communities post-Typhoon Yolanda.

Solenn draws inspiration from the locals of Biri Island in Northern Samar for her newest art piece.

In its first season, Scenezoned won accolades from the Adobo Design Awards for Film Advertising and its flagship episode, featuring Solenn’s exploration of the World’ Most Beautiful island, Palawan, topped the YouTube Ad Leaderboard for the second half of 2016.  In the same season, other personalities like Wil Dasovich, Alex Diaz, and Katarina Rodriguez traveled the Philippines, sampling the best that the country has to offer: From the hottest chili pepper in Bicol, to the deepest caves in Samar, to the most enchanted island of Siquijor.  The series garnered praise from critics and customers alike, for its ability to captivate viewers with the beauties of the Philippines.

This season, Scenezoned will present six more personalities traveling the country, each one equipped with a Samsung Galaxy S8, their personal mission, and #ThePLAN to see it through. The first and second episode of the second season are now up on YouTube.com/Globeph. New episodes will be up every two weeks, inspiring customers to go out themselves and achieve their own goals.

With Globe and #ThePLAN, customers have the power to create the life they want without limitations, just like Solenn and the rest.  The larger-than-life data pack that comes with ThePLAN gives them access to great entertainment from Netflix, Spotify, Pokemon Go, Viber, and many more. Customers also get 1 free app of their choice along with unlimited calls and texts. Get to know more about ThePLAN at globe.com.ph/postpaid/theplan.

CONDUCTOR ARTURO MOLINA TO HOLD A CONCERT WITH MANILA ORCHESTRA IN ILOILO

Maestro Arturo Molina’s pedigree in Philippine music is unquestionable. With family into classical, jazz, and opera, and in both fields of performance and education, the Maestro is the one of the latest in the line of professionals to uphold the heritage of national music with the Molina name.

Starting at age six under Adriano Garcia,a violist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), he later received a scholarship from the MSO to study with Prof. Oscar Yatco, MSO’s music director at the time. During those years, the MSO’s nursery of young musicians was the University of the East Student’s Orchestra under Col. Antonino Buenaventura, where young Arturo earned his stripes.

As an adult, he trained in the elite conservatories of Moscow and Kiev, winning in the String Competitions that vaulted him into a concert at the famed Bolshoi Theater.

Upon his return in1987, Maestro Molina joined the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, became concertmaster of the Manila Chamber Orchestra, taught at the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS), and was solo violinist with the newly formed Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra, an offshoot of PREDIS.

With the ability to convey important ideas using few, everyday words, Maestro Molina conducts with Brocka-esque effect, using imagery to convey the power of sound. “Parang tubig” (like water), “galling sa malayo, papalapit” (from afar, coming closer), “relax, suabe, malambot” (suavely, tenderly) are some of his memorable phrasings. “The violin has a gender,” the Maestro once said, “—it is a lady.” Such is his style.

In 2001, during the concert that re-launched the MSO, Billy Manalo handed the baton to Arturo Molina, entrusting to him the leadership and the future of the Philippines’ first—and one of Asia’s earliest symphony orchestras.

In the decade that passed, the Maestro’s growth as conductor and the development of the MSO under his care have created legion followers, dedicated musicians, and a heritage that will march on far beyond the 89 years of its proud musical existence.

MSO will feature a Bach vs. Beatles playlist on August 25, 2017 at the Molo Church and movie hit-tunes and symphonies on August 26, 2017 at the Iloilo Convention Center. Inquiries about the free, by-invitation concert may be directed to the Secretariat c/o Iloilo Economic Development Office (33) 335-0333 and 337-8341

Geeks on a Beach 2017 in Palawan starts today

Some 400 participants from the government and the private sector, including successful technology entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia and Silicon Valley, has gathered in Puerto Princesa, Palawan as Geeks on a Beach 2017 starts today.

For two days, participants will get to listen to valuable insights from big names in the startup and technology community. There will be keynotes, panels, and discussions with separate breakout tracks in between. 

Successful Filipino-Americans Yobie Benjamin and Aldo Carrascoso lead the list of the world’s prominent names in the field of startups and technology who arrived at the Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa Hotel in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

(From L-R) Token.io Founder and CEO Emeritus Yobie Benjamin, Plug and Play Technology Center Co-founder and VP Operations Jojo Flores, GOAB Founder/Lead Organizer Tina Amper, Ideaspace Executive Director Diane Eustaquio, Ideaspace President Rene "Butch" Meily, Smart DevNet Co-Founder and Senior Developer Evangelist  Paul Pajo, Voyager Innovations Inc. Managing Director and Vice President Dindo Marzan, and PLDT ICT Research and Development Vice President and Head Joey Limjap.

Navigating startup ecosystem

The first day will open with keynote speeches by Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron, Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Monchito Ibrahim, Voyager Innovations Vice President and Managing Director Dindo Marzan, and Token.io and ClickSWITCH.com Chief Technology Officer Yobie Benjamin.

This will be followed by the panel “How Founders Can Navigate Treacherous Seas; Path to potential Unicorns in the Philippines” where technopreneurs from Tokien.io, ClickSWITCH.com, GlycoProX Biosciences, Veem, Jukin Media & Verego, Plug and Play Technology Center, InnoVantage, Inc., StartUp Village, and MobKard will display the story of their success.

Another panel entitled “Startup Ecosystem - How to increase # of successful startups in the Philippines” will highlight speakers from the DICT, Department of Science and Technology - PCIEERD, Department of Trade and Industry, TechTalks.ph, IdeaSpace Foundation, and the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA).

An investor panel which will bring together tech, design, and startup entrepreneurs to brush shoulders with the world’s biggest venture capitalists and investors in the tech world will meanwhile feature Greylock Ventures, North Ridge Partners, Plug and Play, Hatchd Digital, Endeavor Philippines, and Anthill Ventures.

The first day will include the presentation “Startup Nation - The Israel Story” by Sagiv Massad who is the Director of Technology and Cybersecurity for Business Profiles Inc. and Director of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines”. Jojo Flores of StartupPH.org will also present "State of the Nation's Startups: How Competitive can PH Startups Get?”

Corporate Digital Transformation

The second day will kick-off with keynotes by DOST-PCIEERD Engr. Russell Pilli, Center for International Expositions and Missions Executive Director Clayton Tugonon, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce Engr. Ramon Escueta

The panels for the day include “Corporate Digital Transformation: Becoming Victorious in a Collision between Businesses and Today's Challenging Digital Forces” featuring Dragonpay Corporation, BlastAsia & Xamun Inc., PLDT Innolab, Philippine Chamber of Commerce, Payoneer, and the Puerto Princesa Chamber of Commerce, “The way of Creatives: Establishing a Sustainable Niche in a Disruptive Economy” with creatives ­ startups GrupoMM, CreateCebu, 22 Tango Records, and Altum, and “Role of Incubators and Accelerators in Growing Mature Startups” with the BNEFIT, NICP, IdeaSpace Foundation, Muru-D Singapore, UP Enterprise, QBO, ASEAN Centre of Entrepreneurship, and MaGIC Malaysia.

There are also talks on “Boosting FilipinoTrailblazers in Gaming and Animation” by Synergy88 Digital Inc. Managing Director and Co-Founder Jacqueline Chua, “Cultivating Creativity in the Circular Economy” by Altum Director Carlo Delantar, and “Chinese Tech Investment into ASEAN and How Startups in the Philippines Can Leverage On It” by EnterPH Interviews President Atty, Rocky Chan and Kay-Mok Ku of GobiVC.com.

PLDT, Smart, Voyager, PayMaya, ePLDT, Smart DevNet, PLDT Enterprise, PLDT Innolab, Ideaspace, and QBO are supporting GOAB as co-presenters while ASPACE Philippines is co-producer. GOAB is held in partnership with the City Government of Puerto Princesa, Palaweño ICT Association, DOST-PCIEERD, and Mindanao Development Authority. The official airline partner is Philippines Airasia and the official ticketing partner is Ticketbase. The silver sponsors include Payoneer, Zalora, PouchNATION, Istorya.net, Synergy 88 Digital, Uniform Solutions, Temasys, AtoX Solutions, and MaGIC. The bronze sponsors are NXTLVL Academy, LabPH, Spring Valley Corporation, North Ridge Partners, Amazon Web Services, Eastern Communications, Startechup, and Gobi Partners.

The media partners are e27, Tech in Asia, Bohol News Daily by Auza.net, InnoPub Media, Geeks in Cambodia, Asian Journal Publications, Balikbayan Magazine, Mobile Ecosystem Forum, ConnectedWomen.co, QueenCityCebu.com, GMA News Online, MyTV Channel Network, BeFast.TV, Wazzup Pilipinas, TechBlade PH, eMedia Production Network Inc., Inc. Southeast Asia, NU107.COM CO., SnippetMEdia, and Bloomberg TV Philippines. The organizational partners are the Philippine Software Industry Association, National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, UP CeBuinIT, Digital Commerce Association of the Philippines, Developers Connect, Science and Technology Advisory Council - Silicon Valley, Mynimo, Teradoor, Israel Chamber of Commerce Philippines, and the Cloud Security Alliance Philippines. GOAB is supported by Purple Cow, Orange Hub, iSkwelahan.com, DOST-MIMAROPA, Science and Technology Advisory Council Silicon Valley, and Science & Openvate Labs.

First staged in 2013, GOAB is organized by TechTalks.ph, powered by Sym.ph, branding by Happy Garaje, and pr by PRWorks. For further details, visit www.GeeksOnABeach.com, follow on Twitter/Facebook Geeks On A Beach, or contact hello@GeeksOnABeach.com

Optimizing Your Business with Digital Solutions: the DIGITS Trading Corporation Success Story

Who would have thought that a humble computer shop would transform into one of the most successful tech giants in the Philippines? DIGITS Trading Corporation began as a modest computer shop sidelining as a gadget assembling hub. Charles Paw started the company back in 2002, carrying only his passion and grit, and envisioning a company that would become the foremost hub of gadgetry in the Philippines.

In time, the business included retail in its portfolio by launching Beyond the Box, which is an Apple Premium Reseller and Authorized Service Provider, and Digital Walker, which is the premier hub of gadgets and accessories in the Philippines. Additionally, DIGITS supplies to different dealers and organizations like Globe, Astrovision, and Lazada.

Despite its current status, the path to success wasn’t easy. Glenn Richmond Ong, DIGITS’ Vice President for Customer Experience and Information Systems Management, says they faced various challenges, but the toughest and by far the most ironic was a backlog in their technology. Describing how their situation used to be, he talks about their cashiers still using manual receipts and their IT teams receiving hundreds of tickets a month regarding unstable Internet connection.

When it was made clear that Internet connectivity was the most pressing issue, they decided as a company that investing in a stable and strong Internet connection was a must. Thus, they did a scan of four vendors selling network connectivity solutions, before finally deciding to go with Globe Telecom’s offered solutions. Globe’s Managed Wi-Fi and wired connection were installed in their head office, a process which Globe took care of through network rehabilitation of the entire building.

The company also subscribed to many other digital solutions, such as service units relying on Globe postpaid, the use of G Suite (which Google hosts in partnership with Globe), and managed CCTV in their warehouses.

Besides the effectiveness of these solutions, what appealed to Glenn was the convenience. He shares, “I only had to speak to one company, and they were able to provide a lot of different solutions that really helped us. We really see how happy the employees are now. I think it’s my way of also changing the culture. If you are a digital company, and within your company you aren’t digital yet, how do you live out the digital lifestyle?”

More than anything, having reliable Internet connection has worked wonders for DIGITS’ owner and its employees. It provides them with a sense of assurance that whenever they work on something, the work that they have put effort into won’t go to waste. Glenn states that this has improved productivity and allowed them to look forward to optimizing their other business operations through digitization.

“It all starts with having happy employees internally,” Glenn says, stating that everyone around them deserves to be catered to - including fellow employees, whom he considers internal customers. “That’s why I’m focused on resolving the pain points that we have in the head office. If the employees are happy, then the outputs that they will give out are better, which eventually will echo to the external customers who are visiting our stores.”

Glenn Ong, DIGITS Vice President for Customer Experience and Information Systems Management

More than just technology, it’s human capital that makes digitization effective. Glenn describes how some people in the company weren’t tech-savvy prior to utilizing these solutions, and how he trained them to use solutions like G Suite and a Managed Wi-Fi system.

“For us, technology just helps efficiency, but [what’s] more important for us is the people,” he says. “So as long as we have the right people, combining it with the right process and coupling it with good technology, that’s when the company will really blaze a trail.”

When asked about his advice to other businesses looking into digital solutions, he urges them to be open to new things. Some people can become close-minded once they are asked to invest in something, so he encourages them to take a look and understand how even expensive products can benefit their businesses.

“If we try to be open about what’s new and always on the lookout for tools that can help us be more efficient, we’ll have a culture where people are always hungry for innovation,” he says.

Taking a page from DIGITS founder Charles Paw’s book, he also states that business owners shouldn’t be afraid of failure, as mistakes are something anyone can learn from and improve on.

Finally, he adds that it’s important to focus on the people you work with. When you’re a leader, you need to be on the same level as your team and understand their pain points, so that you know the issues that need to be addressed.  He also encourages his fellow leaders to talk to their people - not just to follow up about work, but to ask them how they are, understand what motivates them, and get their feedback.

These things, he says, were the key to DIGITS’ success.

For more information on optimizing your own business with digital solutions and business tools, visit mybusiness.globe.com.ph.

​ Asean takes the stage at the AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017 Grand Finale

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 AUGUST 2017 - AirAsia’s annual designer search, AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search, held its 2017 Grand Finale today at Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear 2017 (KLFW RTW 2017). The finale saw a total of twenty young talents from all 10 Asean countries showcase their Asean-themed creations on the runway. Two top aspiring designers were selected to represent each country after a regionwide audition tour across Asean. The search kicked off in April in Manila before moving on to Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, Jakarta, Bangkok, Vientiane and ended in Phnom Penh in June.

Tran Thi Tu from Vietnam was announced as the Grand Winner and walked away with prizes including a confirmed show segment to showcase their full collection at KLFW RTW 2018, a year-long mentorship from the KLFW RTW team, P300,000 sponsored by FashionValet to produce a capsule collection to be sold on fashionvalet.com, 150,000 AirAsia BIG Points, a six-page fashion spread in AirAsia’s Travel3Sixty inflight magazine, a special feature in Female Malaysia magazine and a pair of AirAsia return flights.

Aireen Omar, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Berhad said, “As a truly Asean airline, we are proud to continue our initiative through this platform and expand the designer search to a regional level with talents from all 10 Asean countries. We are very impressed with what we’ve witnessed on the runway today. Asean has great potential and we believe that, with continuous support and guidance from fashion industry leaders, business owners as well as members of the media, the fashion industry can flourish across the region.”  Andrew Tan, Founder of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready To Wear said, “Having AirAsia as a Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week partner for the past three years has undeniably been an incredible privilege. This partnership allowed us to not only access regional media and influencers but to forge stronger multilateral relationships with opinion leaders, fashion schools, designers and fashion industry activators in neighboring countries. The growth of AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search from five countries last year to 10 countries this year will be instrumental in paving the way for Kuala Lumpur to be the fashion hub of Asean in the near future, a future made possible with the strength of the collaboration between AirAsia and Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week”.